Hi guys! New on here so this is my first post... Did some reading and now I am eager to jump in and start working on my credit. I have two particular incidents I need some help getting off my report: #1 I was sent to collections for an $80 bill I wasn't aware of. I was in between separation and moving. By the time I got the letter the bill was in collection and unfortunately the first thing I did was pay it off without negotiating for it to get deleted. Should I fax the CRAs? How often? What dispute reason should I use? From what I understand I should dispute until someone drops the ball and it gets deleted - is that correct? Can you get in trouble for disputing too often? My second issue was a 60day on my student loan. I was laid off last April and took hardship on my loans- apparently my lender didn't receive the paperwork on time and I got stuck with 2 60days. (It's 2 loans although I make one payment to one lender.) Any suggestions? Also any posts you recommend in general for newbies outside of the FAQs? I don't want to jump in and make mistakes I might regret... like the not asking the CA for deletions. Thanks and hope you are enjoying this holiday as much as I am. =0)
Welcome to Creditnet imeanbiz, and Happy Holidays! So, you're in a difficult position with the 1st account because it's already been paid off and finalized. The good news is that all collections, including medical, with an original amount under $100 are ignored in the most current version of the FICO score. So, this shouldn't be hurting your credit scores. That said, disputing an inaccuracy through the CRAs is always worth a try if you just want it removed from your credit reports. Don't bombard them with disputes though, or else they can get flagged as frivolous disputes. Dispute once, and if you don't get the response you want, try again after 3 months or so. Regarding the 60-day late pay on your student loan, I would start out by trying to work directly with the lender. Provide them with all the paperwork showing that the forbearance was granted prior to when the late fees were assessed, and submit a formal request for them to refund the late fees and update the CRAs with the correct information. Lastly, I would read the Credit Repair Primer as you begin spending more time around the forums.
